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Jun 30, 2008 at 12:01 AMJun 30, 2008 at 1:20 AM

Monday, June 30, 2008

Next stop, Victor

VICTOR – The inaugural ride of a Finger Lakes Railway passenger train from the village is scheduled for Aug. 9. To mark the occasion, officials have planned festivities ranging from musical performances to guest lecturers.

The first ride, for officials and other invited guests, will depart at 9 a.m. Public excursions will be offered at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Aug. 9 and 10.

On Saturday, a dedication ceremony will be held, and two banjo players are scheduled to perform. Guest conductors from the Lehigh Valley Historical Society will board the trains to offer a history of the railroad, and train-themed displays will be set up near Village Hall, where passengers will board.

Organizers have lined up two guest lecturers to talk about local railroad history at Village Hall.

“I think the inaugural run will be fun because there haven’t been passenger trains out there in years,” said Deb Najarro, spokeswoman for Finger Lakes Railway.

Victor will become the westernmost stop for the Geneva-based Finger Lakes Railway Corp. It’s a private company that runs a freight line and passenger excursions at several other stops, including Canandaigua, Shortsville, Clifton Springs, Phelps and Geneva.

From Victor, the company is planning to offer occasional scenic and themed excursions along the lines of those already offered — fall foliage, Halloween, Santa and Blues & Brews (rides that feature beers and music). Also, excursions will be available for corporate functions, school field trips and even small weddings, said Najarro.

Tickets will cost $15 for adults and $13 for kids and seniors. They may soon be available at some stores, but can be reserved by calling Finger Lakes Railway at (315) 374-4994.

Interim MCC president named

BRIGHTON – Larry W. Tyree, who most recently served as interim president at Independence Community College in Independence, Kan., will be Monroe Community College's new interim president.

The MCC board of trustees selected Tyree at a meeting this morning. Tyree is expected to start in August. His appointment is contingent on contract negotiations.

Prior to his position in Independence, he was interim president of Johnson County Community College in Overland Park Kansas. A native of Florida, he currently resides in Sarasota.

The selection comes after several weeks of controversy in selecting a new college president to replace the retiring R. Thomas Flynn, who leaves the job at the end of August. The vote ended in a 5-5 split among the board of trustees between local businessman Dennis Kessler and former Monroe County legislator Bill Smith.

The board must now select a permanent successor to Flynn. No clear timetable has been set for that search.

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